Thursday, February 21, 2008

I've been tagged by Nisa and I was pretty bored too.. hahahaha. Anyway, it's all about being a reflective practitioner regardless of what your practices might be...

10 years ago………..The beginning of many beautiful friendships started when I was 13 where almost all of them lasted until today as we kept in touch constantly. My friends from my schooling years help me to always feel a sense of youth and relevant to the nature of my being. In other words, they help to define me and my lifelah. Besides that, I can clearly remember that I was very adamant on not going to any boarding schools despite the relatively good results and being the cool parents that they are, mummy and daddy just let me be. 13 was also the age when I knew the meaning of being serious and focused on the future by setting my aims and future career path (",)

5 years ago………Was still dealing the loss of my arwah daddy (honestly,it's never going to be easy). I also worked in my mama's shop and earning some bucks to support self. Coming to IPBA was another defining moment of my life where I learnt how to become a thinker and a progressor.

1 year ago……… Was full of mixed emotions... Around this time, I was back in Sydney after a long holiday in Malaysia. Learnt that the relationship I had was based on lies, felt wasted and promised to stay focused on studies (Alhamdulillah for the diversion). Alhamdulillah again for the great house mates with whom I got to share laughter and tears, the fantastic lecturers (miss Dan O'Brien, Rod Lane, Ilija Casule & George Cooney in particular)and exhausting learning experiences...

Yesterday I was…….hanging out for lunch at Makbul TTDI with Nina, Durra, Aimi and Nisya after LTP's tutorial where we got banged quite badly by Miss Lum (tidakkah kau penat?). Attended this really inspiring seminar on teachers' accountability by Mrs Vasantha Mallar before going to Gulai Kampung for a roti canai for tea. Blogged a bit and went for dinner... plainly said, it was all about makan :p

Yesterday, I was talking or rather, chatting to a good friend who I've known for almost 5 years now. He is one who always has a great view on various issues so much so that I just love listening to him because more often than not, our views would be the total opposites but we will agree to disagree in the most funny way (knowing how uptight and headstrong I can be, that's a pretty big surprise aye?).

But his one view on the topic of our conversation yesterday was something I could not and, if I may add, refuse to comprehend, considering how much leadership work he has handled before. Well, it went like this or something to the same effect...

T: So why do you want to try so hard? Just so you know after 23 years of living, you ought to know that it's an unfair world. In Malaysia, it's an unfair system. Just deal with it

I almost caught my tongue, or rather my finger, after absorbing this opinion of his. Okay, I agree that the world has been an unfair place but why is that when you CAN change something, you simply refuse to? We talk so much about changing or shaping the new generation but we ourselves hold a principle in our mind that things are stagnant and there's nothing we can do about it.

His pessimistic view was rather hard for me to swallow as it does reflect that some people are actually holding back the needed change. Pardon the euphemism but if we're going to remain this ignorant, how can we ever make the world a better place? Small things are parts to a bigger dimension, small changes are the vehicle to a broader one. If you can't believe in the possibilities, it will remain the world as it is today.

It's an unfair world because we choose to make it so. Ye, aku frustrated :(

It's never the wrong look in your eyes,The Innocence and freedom I seek,In the long Wilted life I've lived,The rows of Sorrows never borrowed,Always mine to Claim in a mute minute,Always sole to a lone Soul,Time and again, it yearns for Perfection,That eventually came in You...

Maybe this Innocence won't last,My Wilt will end the next second,Cautioned by excitement of other Charms,The Sorrows will then be sold earnestly,Nothing will be to be Claimed as mine,Of Souls flying upon the soaring skjavascript:void(0)Publish Posty,Time and again, Perfection redefined,But You will always be my Perfection

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

This is just a random list I have decided to come up with to celebrate almost ten years of serious music appreciation (hahaha!). Okay, maybe not that random as I've spent two weeks thinking about this list. It's definitely not easy to decide and I faced difficulties in determining a criteria but I made the ultimate choice a day ago (you must be wondering why I have a lot of time in my hands... the answer is I actually don't.. haha) FYI, songs may be chosen for a variety of reason, from compact and impossible music arrangements to the creative energy channeled in the song. Interesting might not mean good or revolutionary but just defining enough for a know-nothing person like me, so pardon the quite limited repertoire of music. Anyway, tidakkah kau teruja juga untuk tahu? So, here it goeslah in no particular order

For all those out there raising an eyebrow over this short list, do care enough to relate your selections. Those who smile over the triviality of this list can now move on with their lives as usual and not break a blood vein trying to compile this obscure part of life (waaa... sarcastically deep tak daku?)

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Caution: Ana was in one of her bitchy, post-PMS moods when she experienced all these so she had to wait until she is finally rational after a looong bath and a cup of good Vittoria coffee. This might come quite delayed but all the more still relevant to anybody out there who has experienced any kind of frustration of the same sort.

I have a certain set of pre-conceptions of how customer service should be provided to clients primarily because clients pay money for the service while the person who serves would ideally represent their organisation/corporation. Though, I often ask myself if I'm setting the standards too high for these people who rightfully do not owe me anything at all. Okay, to give you a clearer idea, I'll just relate a situation where I was pretty pissed off with the service and simply couldn't tolerate the lack of professionalism or politeness. So, you tell me whether I am fussy or some people just don't know how to treat others.

A blazing hot afternoon at Bangsar:I was accompanying Durra to do an important banking transaction at a bank, naturally. As the electronic beeper alerts us that we should proceed to counter 6, we dutifully approach the empty counter and a stocky man at counter 5 looked at us with a half-effort glance and said "counter 5, counter 5.. counter 6 kan kosong" (like, hallo! how are we suppose to know?? knowing how busy bank counters can be, i thought we were supposed to wait patiently like all good citizens should do). Being the sweet, little creatures that we are, we followed the instruction and Durra went on with the transaction.

(Bisik hati kecil Ana sementara pakcik in his selipar jepun goes on to meet his pegawai: Hallo, pakcik! On that account book, it did state that Durra was born in 1985, takkan dah pencen kot??! Plus, the ic number in it matches with her IC yang terang-terang ada mukanya. Kalau ye pun the fault is hers for not having the same sign, you shouldn't have said yang you tak sedap hati seolah-olah you are making a direct accusation that my friend is a delinquent)

After an hour or so, we came back and I decided not to accompany Durra at the counter now for fear that I would make comments on how easy the problem can be solved and he shouldn't have treated us as an unnecessary fuss. Luckily, Durra was served by another person who appeared very professional despite his apparent young age. Still, the pakcik selipar jepun felt obliged to shout out the necessary procedures from his counter 5 to counter 9 as if the guy who was handling Durra's transaction didn't have the brains to do it(the guy did seem pretty annoyed, mind you), causing the whole bank to know that Durra didn't have a matched signature.

Pakcik selipar jepun went on to call Durra to his counter to give a short ceramah on how much trouble they went through because of this and why she shouldn't change her signature. I just looked on from where I was seated in the waiting area because by then, I was keen on taking his selipar jepun and turning it into soup for him to drink so that he can learn how to treat people with a level of professionalism as this is not a transaction in Kedai Pau Pak Abu where you can say anything and I wouldn't care.

Well, it wasn't so much of what he said but rather the way he said it that made me feel that I will never open a bank account in that bank. If you're so lazy to please your clients, then try to ask for another position where you can wear selipar jepun and I wouldn't give a rat's ass. . And they say that "our principle is that our customers are always right"... Yeah, right!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

I know that phrase holds a lot of true meanings to it but I have to admit that I'm a type of person who finds it very hard to share things with people I'm not in a comfortable level with. My close friends might know that I don't mind going the extra mile because I sincerely care for them yet for others, I often get this bisikan hati jahat that goes 'alaaaa.... mana boleh??? i susah-susah ja berusaha selama ni tau. Mana boleh kongsi???'

Thus why I find it hard to work academically in groups, especially when it's not with the preferred few who can stand my sudden aggressiveness when defending my ideas and commenting on the others. Yes, I do get suddenly worked up when it concerns the outcome and quality of m work. I'm still learning to place myself in a position where I'm not always right and not only my idea sells but knowing myself, I know I'm gonna be too focused on getting it done the way I want that I'll end up devising it konon-konon up to my standards (yang takdelah best pun). But Insya Allah, I'll try harder in the future and do remind me when I get too insensitive when I say "Eh, kau rasa idea kau ni valid ke untuk benda yang kita buat ni?"

Still on sharing, I was blessed with superb house mates while living in Sydney and honestly, I really miss hanging out with them. I do see them everyday but it's not the same without the breakfast sessions and the late nights we had in our own little place we can truly call our own home. Rindu kamu, Nisa, Syada and Durra(not that I don't LOVE living with Nina now:p) At least, they know how fanatical I am about the toilets cleanliness, picking up your own hair in the bathroom and washing the dishes in the sink (tidakkah kau terasa?)

Anyway, I think sharing is caring only if you really care. If not, it would be sharing is tiring or sharing is boring... Owh well, I hope you got my point :)

Encik NHL: Jarod, you try to book DKA for this Friday's mass tutorial... If you can't, then go to Plan B (holds silence).. book the DKB. If you still can't, then try Plan C (holds silence).. book the DKC (sambil tersengih girang)(kelihatan seekor ketam janggal melintas secara senget di khalayak ramai)

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

We were having this random conversation in the car the other day as we were heading to Bangsar. Apparently, we were all sort of in a slight denial that we're all going to be teachers in a year time (yakah??) so we started giving each other some other career that is suitable to their faces, character and how they look in baju kurungs

Aimi:Ana and Nina thought she would be in a PR post somewhere in an entertainment companyNisya thought she would also be a PR manager but in some other domains

Nisya:Ana, Aimi and Nina all thought she would be a secretary of some big shot CEO who is fussy but appreciates her ;P

Nina:Ana, Nisya and Aimi all thought she looks like a teacher in tudung but like a garang, tomboyish engineer who has to visit sites without it.. ahahaha

Ana:Aimi thought she would have a serious job like an "encountant"Nina thought she would be a DJ (nisya tanya "in baju kurung?")Nisya thought she would be in advertising

One day, facebook will face its doomsday because of the many application requests people have to either ignore or approve in order to sort out their lives and keep their friends... They will.. Trust me, they will.

Muahahahahaha... I obviously am tortured with the 400 requests I have to go through in the next 3 hours.

In The Pineapple is

I write because I love to *I don't expect you to agree with me although respecting my perspective would definitely help* *I think we are all born to bring a difference to the world, so choose what you wanna change* *Don't just succumb to the masses because you deserve a niche* *Admitting yourself on the spontaneous express is essential*
*Let your love come out if you believe*